


when nothing else matters, I love you like that

by idontshaveforsher_yesyoudo



Series: School Reunions and Other Places to Brag About Your Fiancé [1]
Category: Crooked Media RPF
Genre: M/M, vicariously living through the life of successful gay people is Queer Culture(tm)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-11
Updated: 2020-01-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:14:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22215877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idontshaveforsher_yesyoudo/pseuds/idontshaveforsher_yesyoudo
Summary: "Hey everybody. Oh, who's this with me? It's Ronan Farrow!"aka, the 20 Year High School Reunion fic
Relationships: Ronan Farrow/Jon Lovett
Series: School Reunions and Other Places to Brag About Your Fiancé [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1622356
Comments: 9
Kudos: 98





	when nothing else matters, I love you like that

**Author's Note:**

> first work for this fandom. written very quickly. feedback always appreciated. 
> 
> Based on a thing Lovett said in the last LOLI Episode (The Warring 20's) during the Rant Wheel talking about high school reunions. 
> 
> title from I Love You Like That by Dagny, which, I think, Ronan mentioned liking once. It's worth a listen either way.
> 
> obviously everything about this is fictional. keep it secret, keep it safe, you know the drill.

"I'm sorry, the meeting ran late, I'm getting a taxi now and I'll be there as soon as I can -"

"Relax, it's fine. You'll get here when you get here."

"Listen, if you don't want to go in alone you can wait outside and we'll be fashionably late and you can blame it all on me -"

"Ronan, chill." Jon takes a deep breath. "I'm an adult, I can face my high school classmates all on my own."

"Are you sure? I really am sorry." A car door closes on the other end of the phone and he can hear Ronan tell the driver an address.

"Yeah. Besides, it'll be worth the looks on their faces when they see who my date is."

They hang up quite quickly after that and Jon smoothes down the lapels of his jacket, nods to himself. He's only about to face down his high school bullies for the first time after twenty years. This should be a piece of cake.

* * *

"A podcast? Not bad! I don't really listen to those, but my wife really likes that one about politics, what's it called? Ashley, honey, what's that podcast of yours called?"

Marc-with-a-C, as he used to introduce himself back in high school, turns to his wife, who seems to be about three glasses deep into the red wine and more interested in talking to just about anyone else but her husband, even if that means talking to the most annoying classmate of Jon's year. Jon can relate. He watches as Marc-with-a-C tries to get his wife's attention, fails miserably, and turns back to the conversation at hand.

"Anyway, it's some pretty left podcast, too left for me, to be honest, not that I like Trump, obviously, but you know how it is." Jon nods, even though he does not know how it is. "The title's some bad joke about the National Anthem or something, but they're quite popular. Maybe you've heard of them, checking out your competition and stuff?"

"Pod Save America?" Jon asks.

"Yeah, exactly, that's the one. So you know them?"

"Yeah you could say that." This evening is going to be more fun than Jon expected.

"Right, anyway, I read this article in the Times that podcasts are a non-sustainable medium, anyway, so you might want to stop before even starting, you know how it is with that kind of stuff."

Jon nods, even though he still does not know how it is with that kind of stuff. It doesn't matter, anyway, because Marc-with-a-C is already chatting away about his dentist practice or something. Jon wonders how long he'll have to listen to this before politely extracting himself to go to the bathroom. Not that he wants an excuse to leave this conversation or anything. That would be rude.

* * *

Josy from French class tells him she saw him on Colbert a few months back and that she was pleasantly surprised.

He grins, shrugs. Plays it off like It's Not A Big Deal, even though it is. Asks what she does, in return, and when she tells him about her Non-Profit-Organisation which focuses on Women's Health, he asks for a business card and tells her yes, he would be interested in getting coffee some day soon, and he'd see if they could fit an interview in one of the next Lovett or Leave Its.

The exchange leaves him overall in a good mood, and when she excuses herself to look for her husband, he grins and doesn't even feel all too bad for having to talk to other, less interesting classmates now.

* * *

"Oh, you worked in politics? You know, Paul actually interned for the White House when he was in college, didn't you, babe?"

Ashley Palmer-well-now-Davidson-obviously-since-I-married-but-you-all-know-me-as-Palmer still has unnaturally blonde hair and a tan about three shades too dark to be natural, and her voice has only gotten shriller over the years.

"Really?" Jon asks, feigning interest for the husband standing next to his near-screaming wife. "What did you intern as?"

"Oh, just for the Assistant Press Secretary, wasn't that big a deal, you know. I left after a few months to pursue other things. You worked in local politics, I presume?" The important voice the husband has put on makes clear that it was a Big Deal None Of You Little People Could Achieve, Hah, Sucks To Be You. His tan is the exact same shade as his wife's, and Jon lowkey wants to snap a picture and send it to Favs and Tommy with a witty caption about how they'd be a perfect fit for LA.

Instead, Jon just shrugs. "Nah, I used to write speeches for the Clinton Campain back in oh-eight, then I was a speechwriter at the White House."

"Like, for Senators and stuff?"

"Yeah, you could say that. I mean, Obama was a senator once upon a time, wasn't he?" The glee Jon feels as he watches their matching plucked eyebrows raise in sync is probably out of proportions. He doesn't really care. "Anyway, you said you're working in consulting now?"

* * *

Mary Santiago tells him that she really likes his podcast and that her and her wife listen to it all the time.

He grins at her.

He knew he used to like her back in high school for a reason.

* * *

"Yeah, my partner's in journalism." At this point, he's just saying random fun facts to keep the conversation going with this random wife called Brittany or Brittney or Bella-May.

"Oh, what kind of journalism?" Her perfume is way too strong and he's pretty sure he's going to have to wash his hands twice later after shaking hers to get rid of that scent.

"He does investigative work."

"You know, I recently read a really interesting book about a journalist who uncovered the Harvey Weinstein story. Reads like a thriller. Seems like something he might be interested in?"

Jon can't help that the corner of his mouth twitches upwards. "Really? Sounds thrilling, what's it called?"

"Oh, I think something like Catch or be Killed, or something like that? Not quite sure, to be honest, but it was quite good. You should check it out."

On one hand, Jon wants to burst her bubble and tell her that he has, in fact, checked this book out in the past because he does, in fact, appear in it. On the other hand, this lady is one of the first people he has talked since arriving here to who he hasn't wanted to strangle, and he really doesn't want to mess that up by being impolite. Also, it's gonna be hilarious when Ronan actually shows up later. 

He just opts for a "cool, I might check that out."

* * *

"So, you're here alone then, Lovett? No date?"

Brendan Carter, aka The Quarterback of the High School Football Team, aka one of the guys Lovett might have had one or two sexuality crises about, is still unfairly hot, and he surprised actually no-one by showing up married to the head cheerleader from back in the day.

"My fiancé got held up in a meeting, he should be here before dinner, though." He says 'fiancé' and relishes the frown on Brendan's far-too-perfect face.

"Oh, you're engaged? Is it another math nerd you met at uni or something?"

Just when Jon's about to answer something incredibly witty about how they're too old to be using stereotypical bully vocabulary like _nerd_, he spots Ronan in the crowd. "Not quite, no," he says instead. "As a matter of fact, he just arrived."

Ronan reaches them a moment later, smiles his I-know-I-fucked-up-please-forgive-me smile at him, presses a drink into his hands and a palm against the small of Jon's back.

"Hi, you," he says.

Jon's face involuntarily scrunches up in a way that Tommy calls his I'm Incredibly Fond Of My Boyfriend Face and Favs calls Your Face Looks Dumb, Are You Texting Ronan Again Even Though You're Supposed To Be Working Right Now?

"Thanks," he says in lieu of a greeting and takes a sip of the wine Ronan got him. While looking at him, Jon notes that he wants it to be known that Ronan's Fond Face is just as dumb as his own.

"Oh, I should introduce you. Brendan Carter. My fiancé, Ronan."

Ronan briefly removes his hand from Jon to shake Brendan's hand in the carefully practiced manner he uses on politicians and bosses. Him and Brendan exchange meaningless verbiages (Favs would be proud of him for using such a big word in his inner monologue). Brendan's wife turns up at his side, clearly here to show off their combined beauty, and another round of shaking hands and swapping pleasantries starts up.

Then Ronan's hand is on the small of Jon's back again, where it rightfully belongs, in Jon's humble opinion. Now that Ronan is here, he can't help but comment on Brendan's stupid comment from earlier by saying, "Anyway, we were just talking about you. I informed him that we didn't meet in uni. Seeing as you went to college when you were eleven and all that."

Brendan looks from Jon to Ronan, back to Jon. Opens his mouth. Closes it again. Apparently, doing his best to look like a fish.

"So, where did you two meet?" The wife asks, trying to make the silence less awkward. Jon really should remember her name, but he just can't be bothered to do so.

"Oh, it was back when we were both working at the White House, shortly before Jon left," Ronan says.1

"Hang on, you worked at the White House?"

And Jon just leans back against the warmth of Ronan's hand and lets him take the lead. If there's anything that man knows how to do, it's bragging about Jon's achievements in a very subtle, casual way that's entirely not subtle or casual.

* * *

"You know, bragging is great and all, but the best thing about tonight was that you were there," Jon says later, when they're in the taxi on the way back to Ronan's apartment.

"That's about the cheesiest thing you've ever said. And don't lie, you loved the bragging."

"I did love the bragging." Ronan takes his hand and smiles at him in that very dumb, fond way of his. Jon grins. "I still can't believe that Rick's wife took one look at you and decided that you'd be worth an affair. The way she flirted at you, I swear."

"You know, most people would dislike their partner getting hit on by someone else." Ronan is putting on a pensive, intellectual voice, but Jon can hear the hidden laughter.

"Totally," he says. "But it's not every day that I have a fiancé who's so clearly hotter than the guy who bullied me in high school."

Ronan grins at him. Raises an eyebrow. "As if you didn't notice at least three different men flirting with you tonight. God knows how many more when I wasn't there yet."

"Jealous?"

"Oh, incredibly so," Ronan laughs and pulls him into a kiss that lasts until they get home. Maybe it even continues after they arrive at Ronan's apartment, but Jon isn't one to kiss and tell.


End file.
